Working Hard or Hardly Working

by Anne Linn

Maria Andres is a recent graduate of John Paul the Great Catholic University with a double emphasis of Film Production and Acting. Through hard work, networking, and dedication, she became the Marketing and Production Coordinator at DML Film. At the independent company, Maria works with producer Gerald Molen and helps as they produce feature films while also working with major film studios for marketing and distribution.

During her undergrad years, Maria developed a strong work ethic and willingness to push herself. She said, “I thought my work ethic would be okay since I was already taking six classes per quarter and working 2-3 part-time jobs to pay my way.” She credits her current job to dedication and hard work. “I think it is fair to say that my current job fell into my lap because I was proactively seeking one.”

During her senior year at JPCatholic, Maria got in contact with companies such as A-24, BBC Television and BBC 1, and Walden Media. “I wanted to pursue something that was narrative, perhaps period, but also well connected to what is politically going on.” Through Deb Culbertson, she was able to set up an interview spot with DML film. They were impressed with the work Maria had done in school. “They loved the fact that I had just finished producing a SAG-AFTRA short film, and they wanted to know when I could start working….” When it came time for Maria to graduate, she was set to start full-time for the company.

As a Marketing and Production Coordinator at DML film, Maria’s workdays are full. She is responsible for location scouting, running budgets, marketing and ad buys, production days, travel planning, researching, reading scripts, coordinating with theaters for red carpet events for our upcoming film release, and much more. According to Maria, DML Film is an inestimable training ground and a perfect opportunity for working her way up in the field. “I am extremely blessed that our producers are looking to train people in and think that I have the makings of a producer. With that in mind, I have no idea how long I will stay in San Diego before moving to LA or elsewhere. It depends on the films our company makes, the opportunities that present themselves, and where God leads.”

In the future, Maria hopes to spend some time with BBC, put her own stories into production, and perfect her acting craft. At present though, she feels “extremely blessed to work full-time for a production company in the feature film industry.”